Rockstar Games may be known as the developers that favor crime gameplay over romance, but that doesn’t mean that the best Rockstar Games titles are void of love and eternal companionship. Some relationships in Rockstar Games titles are integral to the story, with character development and flaws at the center of these relationships. However, some are just good old-fashioned Rockstar Games humor.
It wouldn’t be a Rockstar Games title without some toxicity, so some players may find these romances in Rockstar Games a tad distressing, or annoying. However, there lies a universal consistency in these titles (other than bullets and stealing), that being the passion of romance, fleeting or otherwise.
7 Cole And Marie Phelps (L.A. Noire)
Without a doubt, Cole and Marie in L.A. Noire have the worst relationship in all of Rockstar Games’ titles. Cole and Marie do not have a relationship that fans of the game should look at in a good light. However, their relationship is indicative of the period, and the traditional roles expected of men and women at the time.
Cole was a man who had been through some pretty hard times during World War 2. He also works as a detective, becoming consumed by this work to avoid the emotional damage the war caused him. This broken man does not let his wife, Marie, into his life, and even cheats on her. Their broken marriage only survives their two daughters.
6 Michael And Amanda De Santa (Grand Theft Auto 5)
A life of crime eventually caught up to Michael, who worked with the FIB to turn in his old crew and fake his death. With this new life, Michael moved to Los Santos with Amanda, and the two spent two decades together and had two pretty ungrateful children. Michael and Amanda’s relationship is far from perfect, and Amanda has cheated on Michael a few times.
The two characters have a complex romance in Grand Theft Auto 5, and both of them seem miserable together. Both parties are unfaithful, but towards the end of the game, they are trying to make things work for their family and their happiness.
5 Trevor And Patricia (Grand Theft Auto 5)
Trevor Philips is not the kind of person that players would expect to have a heart for romance. Trevor is one of the most sadistic and murderous characters, and he would, and has, probably murdered someone just for looking in his general direction. Yet, there is one character that captured Trevor’s heart, and of course, it was the wife of a dangerous crime lord.
Trevor and Patricia Madrazo fell in love, even if this started over Trevor kidnapping her. However, Trevor always treated her well, even if that meant carrying her bridal style whilst she is tied by rope. Patricia declares her love for Trevor through various emails but knows they cannot be together due to the power of her husband. So, Trevor beats up Martin Madrazo to make sure he treats Patricia like she deserves.
4 Arthur Morgan And Mary Linton (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Arthur Morgan and Mary Linton had a youthful love, and the two never truly moved on from one another. Yet, their young love fell through when Arthur Morgan continued down the path of an outlaw, more loyal to the Van der Linde gang than to the disapproving family of Mary Linton’s fortune.
Yet, the two reunite many years later in Red Dead Redemption 2, their feelings for each other still present and lurking. Yet, the two never rekindle their romantic interest, and with high honor, Arthur Morgan even notes the regret he has for giving up the love he had. The two had great chemistry, and even in death, Mary mourns for Arthur and the life she could have had with him if he led a better life.
3 Max And Michelle Payne (Max Payne)
The relationship between Max and Michelle Payne may have been off-screen, and before the events of the Max Payne game series, but she is a large motivation for Max. Michelle Payne is mentioned throughout the Max Payne games, and her death is a heavy toll on Max’s head throughout the series. The love Max had for her is clear in every gun he fires, and every bullet he dodges.
Due to the loss of his beloved wife, Max Payne enters into a depression. Not only did Max lose his love, but he lost his daughter, Rose. It’s a shame audiences never got to see this romance flourish in this Rockstar Games title, but they can certainly feel the grief and loss Max feels.
2 Jake And Sadie Adler (Red Dead Redemption 2)
When players come across Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption 2, they discover that the heinous O’Driscoll gang has already killed her husband. This action sets Sadie down a trail of grief, one where she suffers from depression for a long while, kept around by the Van der Linde gang out of sympathy for the loss of her husband and farmland.
As the game progresses, Sadie becomes angrier and develops great skills when it comes to guns. Sadie soon becomes one of the best bounty hunters in the Wild West, and avenges her husband by eradicating the O’Driscolls, all in the name of love. Sadie never moved on from Jake, and from the fragments of their relationship players hear and see in Red Dead Online, it can be seen why.
1 Abigail and John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
Abigail and John Marston may have had a troubled marriage for a while, but it all stems from the difficulties of their youth. They are both young parents, trying to do better as the world they know changes around them. By the time players meet the couple in Red Dead Redemption, they can see the overbearing nature of Abigail and the stoic and distant cowboy persona of John.
The couple do love each other, and the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 see John comes to terms with the fact that Jack is his son, and the fact that he does love Abigail. The two share many romantic nights and adventures, and John even lays down his life so that his wife and son can escape this fated life of a former outlaw.